Am I really losing weight..??

So, the scale says I've lost another 2.2kg (4.84 pounds) since my last post. I am so confused right now. The scale says one thing, but my body feels another way. I mean, I can tell that my clothes fit differently and people keep telling me that I look like I've lost weight, but I still don't see it for myself.

I'm 2 pounds away from what I weighed at graduation 4 years ago, but I feel like I don't look like I did back then. My stomach looks bigger, my thighs look fatter---I just feel like I'm still bigger than the scale says.

I looked back at my weight log, and I've lost a total of 9kg (19.8 pounds) since I started this blog... but I can't tell you where the hell it went. I still feel big, bloated and fat. Maybe I should go shopping and see if I can stuff myself into a smaller size; maybe then I'll start to realize if I'm really as small as people say... I'm still nowhere near where I'd actually want to be, however, so I'm still trying to lose.

(sad face)

Whaddup Peeps!!!

Isn't this little chickie CUTE??!! Ugh... adorable...

HAPPY EASTER!! It's finally Springtime!! I absolutely love this season because everything seems to be coming back to life; starting over anew!! I'm sure it's no coincidence that Easter takes place during this time. Christians believe that Easter is the day Jesus was risen from the dead after being crucified. In sacrificing himself for our sins, he gave all Christians fresh start.

Easter also marks the end of Lent. That's right―I'm once again free to stalk as I please!!!

But, I won't.

Lent is a time to be reflective and try and make changes. Now that it's over, I've decided to ease up a bit on the stalking because it's not doing me much good and most times only leaves me feeling sad and irritable―specifically after checking up on my ex- Y. Remember how I said I'd only look at her profile if she popped up in my Facebook mini-feed? Well, towards the end of Lent, she was like in it every other day, so I would check and see updates about her and N and their perfect relationship. It TOTALLY sucked.

I finally vented all my frustrations onto a good friend of mine and she asked me if I had ever considered deleting Y. I said I had, but I was too scared that once I deleted her, she wouldn't even notice―or worse, wouldn't even care and then I would lose all ties with her. My friend suggested instead that I delete Y from my mini-feed; it's an option that makes it so a person's status updates, photos, posts, et cetera don't appear on your homepage. At first, I was hesitant to do even that, but I finally did it and you know what? It felt good. It wasn't permanent, and I could still check her profile if I really wanted to, but I'm not going to.. at least not the 20-30 times a day I used to at my worst and most obsessive times. Ugh... I almost sound crazy! If anyone else told me something like that, I'd think they were a complete LOON.

Anyway, so yeah... I'm going to sit back and try and start living my life again. Not to say that I won't ever check Y's profile, but now I know that I have the power to keep it in check. I still want to confront her one day and tell her all my feelings, but I don't know when that will be... I've said I want to wait until she and N break up, but who knows? What if she marries her?? Sad/pathetic story: when gay marriage was legalized in Washington D.C. not long ago, my immediate thought after "oh, that's so great!" was "oh, crap! what if they move to D.C. and get married?!" The thought seemed even more plausible because Y had a status awhile back about how N told her that her dream wedding dress was $5000. I couldn't help but think how Y would have reacted if it were I that said such a thing (my dream dress is by a designer whose gowns start at $3000) that she would have labeled me a shallow, spoiled brat. Ugh... ok, enough.

So, I am moving on! It's disgustingly pathetic that I've let myself feel like crap for more than a year over someone who has absolutely no clue. Now, now... don't think this means that I won't ever mention Y again, because I inevitably will, but just know that I'm working towards getting myself together and starting to be more positive about things, ok? Ok!

Gosh! ^^That's a lot of text!^^ I think I'm done for now... I actually have other stuff to update you all on, but I'll save that for tomorrow.

Welp, I'm at work so...........................

BYE!!!

-Tisba
♥

Open Letter to My Sisters...

First, I want to say that I love you two so much. You two are like my children and I would do anything for you and anything to protect you.

That being said, this weekend when I let you two use my laptop, I carelessly left my tabs saved to open automatically when you opened the browser. I'm sure you inevitably saw my blog and read every entry, out of pure curiosity. I'm not 100% sure if you read everything, but nevertheless, I was devastated at the prospect of being found out. What would you two think?? What would you say?? I'm too afraid to even ask if you read it because I'm deathly afraid of the awkwardness and possible rejection that might ensue. I rather just assume the worst.

The things I discussed in this blog were; ironically, because it is shared with the world; meant to be private. Things I wrote in here are things I have told very few people or no one at all. A blog is hardly how I would have imagined you would find out such personal and private things about me. Anonymity was so important to me and now that it has been jeopardized, I can no longer continue writing because I am almost certain you will return to this page again.

I love you two so much and I hope you understand that I am not a bad person; I am simply a person who has no other outlet to express feelings that many may view as strange or wrong. I hope we can still be as close as before and I hope most of all, that you don't see me any differently.

♥

Matters of the heart...

Specifically, my (anatomical) heart and how its acting right now…

On Sunday and Monday, I binged and threw up in the evenings. My vomiting episodes range from once monthly to once weekly, but this is probably only the second time I’ve eaten and thrown up two days in a row, but both times I seemed to experience palpitations and a rapid heart rate; I would take my pulse and it would be racing. This also happens to me on other occasions, but rarely.

I know vomiting can cause an electrolyte imbalance which can lead to cardiac issues, but I always make sure to drink water+table salt or Pedialyte® after an episode. Even still, I think that only occurs in extreme cases. Nevertheless… it’s freaking me out!! I’m a hypochondriac, I admit, but with good reason!!! I always hear about stories where people dismissed arm tingling as pins and needles when, lo and behold, they were having a stroke! Or when someone will down a whole bunch of antacids to cure a “stomach ache” when all the sudden, BOOM, their appendix bursts! Plus, the fact that my parents are doctors and I’m so into health and diseases, I’ve become hyper-aware of my body and its functions. Once, I called my mom from school crying and insisted on getting a CT scan that same day because of a headache I’d had for 3 days which I thought it was an aneurysm… they found nothing, but better safe than sorry!!

Anyhoo… I haven’t thrown up since Monday, but that hasn’t stopped me from binging which just builds my anxiety about gaining weight. I need to get back in the gym… and see a doctor! I made an appointment with a primary care physician for next week, so I’ll see how that goes. I also decided to forgo resuming my Adderall® until this is settled. I don’t need anything else jackin’ up my heart rate unnecessarily…

I’ll update you later.
♥

You can't please everyone.....

...... especially not my father.

I just had a huge fight with him tonight. I mean, we were really, really yelling at each other. I don't like disrespecting my parents, but I'm really bad at biting my tongue and staying quiet when I feel like I should be defending myself. It all started when he, while asking my brother about why he missed church, mentioned how neither of us had "any type of clear career path". Me? The same "me" who has a degree from a tier 1 university? The same "me" who has worked up from intern to coordinator at my current organization in less than a year? The same "me" who has been gainfully employed since graduating and is actively applying to medical school??? Comparing me to my brother; who has yet to finish his undergrad degree, get a job, or pay for anything he owns himself at 27; is quite laughable and downright ridiculous.

My dad does this a lot. He makes me feel bad about not going to medical school right after graduation (in 2006). What makes it worse is that I changed my major half-way into undergrad and went from physiology/neurobiology to public health (which was tantamount to me saying "mom and dad, I'm dropping out of college and, by the way, I'm pregnant"). He told me tonight that my life "was over" (at 26, right?) and that I was "Going nowhere" as my peers "lapped me in achievement" and that at 26 I "have nothing to show for it". He then proceeded to name the numerous cousins and children of family friends who had either started or finished residency and who were now either getting married or buying homes. FYI: If a Nigerian woman is over 27 and not in residency, PhD candidacy, or married, she is a failure. Ask anybody (Nigerian). I have one year left before I become part of the dregs of society.

I did mention I'm Nigerian, right? If you know anything about Nigerians, or foreign parents in general, you'll know that they have very high standards regarding education. For me and my cousins as well as Nigerian/Indian/Chinese/foreign friends, we all know that if you're not a doctor, engineer, or pharmacist, you might as well go kill yourself right now because you are all but worthless in our communities. Of course I don't agree with this; not every single Nigerian I know is an MD, PharmD, or PhD, but there are quite a few; I'd say about 60% of my friends. Oh, did I mention both my parents are also surgeons?? Yeah, so there's no "do your best, honey" because my best has to be better than their best... at least that's how they measure success.

Now, I know I haven't taken a direct path to medical school, but damn it, I'm trying! I'm working hard finishing pre-reqs and I am trying. It's very difficult for me to see my peers graduating pharmacy school and medical school, heading off to residency and not feel left behind. I'm going to be 27 soon, damn near 30 and I feel unaccomplished. I want to be on par with those around me.

I'm not pursing medical school just to please my parents, as so many people think and freely suggest as the reason why I say I want to be a doctor (I fucking hate that). I seriously feel that there is no way I'll be happy or fulfilled with my life unless I'm a physician. I love science and medicine. I read medical journals for fun. I love learning about rare diseases and I get a thrill when I identify diseases before doctors do on TLC's "Mystery Diagnosis" series. I want the opportunity at that one-on-one interaction with a patient. I see the way my parents are with their patients and I admire it greatly. Plus, I've always wanted to be able to say, "trust me; I'm a doctor..." ☺

I took a practice MCAT yesterday with Princeton Review and I finally decided to take the July exam after putting it off for so many years. I admit it: I've been afraid of applying to medical school; I have been afraid of what would happen if I didn't get in. What would my parents say? What would my friends say? A lot of people expect me to be a doctor, especially because my parents are doctors (why could they be bus drivers or garbage collectors? not that there's anything wrong with that, but damn, I wouldn't have to aim so high).

I know I'm not exactly a dinosaur, but can't help but feel old (by African standards) when I look at people my age and see what they are up to compared to myself. Nevertheless, I still find encouragement in others pursuing the same career path as me and some who are doing it later in life. I know all is not lost; I can still do it.

I'll let you all know how it goes...

♥ TisbA

McQueen is Dead. Long Live McQueen.

This is such a sad day... in fashion and in general. Four-time winner of the British Fashion Designer of the Year award, Sir Alexander McQueen is dead.

It's not obviously apprearnt, but I love, LOVE, ♥ fashion. Haute couture, prêt-à-Porter, footwear, handbags... everything. Mostly, I enjoy looking at it since I can't afford the things I truly love. Many of those beloved things were the creation of designer Alexander McQueen. He was a phenomenal fashion genious whose avant-garde style and performance-like runway shows were beyond compare. Adored by celebrities like Rihanna and SJP, and whose designs are worn by Lady Gaga in her "Bad Romance" video; McQueen made beautiful, beautiful, BEAUTIFUL work.

Lee Alexander McQueen was found dead today of an appaerant suicide. Someone who was so famous, so rich, so talented, and so loved by so many took his own life. Suicide is so sad and I can't begin to pretend to know what is going through the mind of a person who is contemplating taking their own life. All I can say is that if you know someone who is becoming withdrawn or acting differently, don't dismiss it; show concern... you never know what they can be going theough. I know life gets bad, it gets depressing, I get depressed, but I still know that for me, nothing can ever be as bad for me to want to kill myself. I could be in debt up to a billion dollars and weigh 300 pounds, but I know I could still go on living. I know not everyone feels that way, but I hope people turn away from suicide as an option and look to solve their problems another way. If you ever need to talk, on this blog or off, I'm here; I really don't mind. Even one person dying from suicide is too sad and too great of a loss to humanity.

God Save McQueen ♥

I am so weak

So I just ate. I had pretzels, hummus, yogurt... then I moved onto the hard stuff; buffalo wings, pizza... I am so weak and feel so disgusting right now.

I'm an emotional eater; I eat when I'm happy, but even more when I'm sad.

Why am I sad? Well, like I mentioned before, I'm a stalker. A heartbroken stalker. The girl I used to date broke up with me a year ago and I haven't gotten over her yet. This is really making me sick inside, really sick. We only dated for about 4 months, but... and I've only told this to my best friend... but I think I might have loved her. I mean, what else is this feeling that WON'T go away?? Its an achy, sad feeling inside me. I can cover it up with food, other people, or anything else.

My ex-, we'll call her Y, started seeing another girl, we'll call her N, very soon after we broke up, which made me think this other girl was waiting in the wings in some type of way...

Y is in LOVE with this girl; I mean, she is chasing this girl big time. The girl seems to not be as enthralled because she keeps breaking up with Y. In N's blogs, she always talks about how she doesn't think people listen to her when she tries to tell them what she wants (e.g. not wanting to be in a relationship) but Y doesn't seem to care. Y is willing to sacrifice so much to be with N.

N was in school, had family obligations, lived far away... all things that she and I had in common, but Y wasn't willing to compromise with me. Y said that we didn't spend enough time together, but here she was willing to get just a few hours a week with N and that was enough. With me, its a deal breaker, but with N, Y is totally willing deal with being all but ignored by N.

WHY NOT ME? Why couldn't she give me another chance? Why is she willing to give N so many chances to break her heart, but she breaks mine with so little thought??

I feel so sad and alone. I hate this feeling. I literally have no one to talk to because I'm sure all my friends are sick of hearing about this particular problem. I'm going to go eat some more. I feel like shit. I don't know what to do.................

My brother is making omelets downstairs...

...Trying to hold my breath so I don't inhale its delicious aroma...

Or how about I just close my door??

*SLAM*

Ahh... better.

p.s. 0.4kg loss today!!! I'm back to my pre-holiday binge-fest weight!!! I hope this is actual fat. I'm going to be trying on a ton of clothes to see if I actually lost weight weight and not just glucose stores. Now, I'm going to start working out. I haven't had time, but I really need to make the time.

It's GO TIME!!!

snOMG....

So, I'm spending the weekend stuck under 9 feet of snow: FUN.

Aside from being trapped with no way out... I'm worried about sticking to my diet. The house is stocked with crap food: chips, buffalo wings, soda... your normal Super Bowl weekend fare.

Of course I also have my own food, so I'm prepared... hopefully. This will be a test to my will power; being so close to all this bad food. I live at home, so I don't have total control of what foods stay in and out of the house. I also have the problem of people eating my safe foods: VERY ANNOYING. My family doesn't understand that I can't just "eat something else". I try to avoid being around food... food is a threat to my progress. I'm terrified of it...

I plan to be on the blog a lot. Reading about everyone else's experiences really helps me deal with my own struggles. You really have to keep yourself busy; stay distracted from the food. The safest places in my house are my room and the basement; there, I will seek refuge. I actually have homework to do as well, so me and organic chemistry are going to get cozy...

Looking forward to a good weekend... I can do this.